Innovative Products: Sherwin-Williams SnapDry

A water-based paint that dries in a hour, so doors and windows can be closed sooner

By Professional Remodeler Staff |March 31, 2017

SnapDry paint dries very quickly. Any drips should be removed within 10 minutes. If that’s not possible, Sherwin-Williams recommends waiting a few hours, scraping the drips, and reapplying.

When you paint exterior doors, it usually takes up to 4 hours for the paint to dry and several weeks for it to completely cure. Not anymore. “Our customers said they wanted to be able to shut windows and doors soon after painting them, without the problem of sticking,” says Rick Watson, director of product information for Sherwin-Williams.

SnapDry, which is water-based, employs cross-linking polymers that coalesce in minutes to form a hard film more quickly than any latex paint. Once the film is formed, it won’t soften again, Watson says. “Sometimes if a door is painted a darker color, the sun will hit, warm it up, and the paint becomes soft again,” he says. SnapDry has been tested in hot settings, and the film doesn’t soften. The process also improves moisture resistance.

The semigloss product is primarily used for windows, doors, and trim and is available in about 85 percent of Sherwin-Williams’ colors. SnapDry retails for $73.99 per gallon and is manufactured in the U.S. using global materials.